Could your child’s behavior problems be as simple as getting their eyes checked? Believe it or not, acting out could be one of the first steps to vision problems. Let’s look a little deeper...

If your child has begun showing some behavior issues, you definitely want to be sure to check all aspects before jumping to any conclusions. Typically it's immediately assumed that the child may have some learning problems or developmental disorders. However oftentimes what we judge as something far more serious, in fact isn’t. For instance, more often than not: one reason kids disrupt classroom lessons is because they are not being challenged enough; this can affect them intellectually, as well as in regards to their conduct. As children usually have much smaller attention spans as adults, it must be noted that the moment kids are not stimulated properly, they lose their concentration on that particular thing. So, if your child is sitting in the back of the class and is having trouble seeing what the teacher is writing, for instance, there is actually a fairly high probability that he/she is actually just...bored.

Having trouble seeing can not only bring apathy to a child’s school day environment, but also confusion, annoyance, and ultimate: frustration. If the dilemma comes down to their vision, it can be very concerning for them - especially if this is their first occurrence of vision problems. The first thing to do is set up an immediate appointment with their vision-care specialist and check. The vision concerns could merely be their first pair of prescription eyeglasses, or it could be more serious - like eye surgery. Of course, you will never know if you don’t get them examined!

Generally the answer you will receive from your doctor is to fit your child with eyeglasses. Unless there are severe concerns, surgery is not usually the initial answer. Moreover, doctors are well aware that as children are still growing, prescription glasses may help their development, whereas surgery is a permanent change. Your child may start fighting you on getting glasses. If none of their friends have glasses, they probably won't want to stand out. They may argue that they aren’t "cool", or that they’re simply not comfortable. It’s difficult for kids to take on new responsibilities - especially when it's not something that brings them immediate joy, like a new puppy. However, ultimately they will thank you when they’re bringing home papers with big red "A"s on top!!

It is essential that we know what is going on with our children. You certainly don’t want to go punishing a child for behavior problems when they are already suffering from vision problems. Always be sure that your kids have up-to-date vision screenings! If they do in fact need vision correction, guarantee that the eyeglasses prescription is done correctly. You’ll also always want to insist that the prescription glasses are fitting correctly; make any adjustments as needed - as this can surely affect your child’s vision!